"The road to enactment of this legislation was not easy."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy - 1990
Senator Edward M. Kennedy - 1990
The Political Movement
The critical Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 proved to be the first legislative victory for the disabled. It prohibited discrimination in federally funded areas. However, Section 504 remained unenforced until cross-disability activists demonstrated and ultimately forced the signing of regulations on April 28, 1977.
Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 New York Times - October 14, 1973 |
"The Rehabilitation Act of 1973..the good the act will do in helping hundreds of thousands of our disabled citizens attain self-sufficiency...”
President Richard Nixon - September 26, 1973 |
 Protest button to show demonstrator demand for 504 regulations. |
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Section 504 Demonstrations and Trainings
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"I do believe that we shall overcome some day."
Section 504 Demonstrators - April 1977 |
"No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely on the base of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 |
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The [504] trainings were really important in teaching literally thousands of people that a disability right is a mollified issue.” Mary Lou Breslin, Personal Interview – March 11, 2013 |
 Sample of video during Section 504 trainings to show cross disabilities treatment |
One Step at a Time...
Although many legislative actions addressed specific needs of the disabled, it became obvious that only a comprehensive law would end all forms of discrimination.
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